God Made A Farmer commercial = EPIC!

[cowgirl836]

I don't know that they receive any more crap than any other profession. Lawyers get a bad rap. Government employees get a bad rap. Teachers do too.

I got to see my Dad (the farmer) tonight and asked him if he saw the commercial. He rolled his eyes and said that the reading is nice sentiment, but that farmers as a group are no better or worse than any other group.

My Mom (the farmer's wife who also grew up on a farm and did not want to marry a farmer, but ended up doing it anyway) thought that it was even more stupid than my Dad did.

Do those sectors have groups like PETA, HSUS, Mercy for Animals etc., who have eliminating their profession as one of their main goals? You and your parents are free to find it stupid just as myself and every other ag-related person that grew up working with animals that I've seen discuss it will continue to think it was pretty nice and that the donation to FFA is even better. Opinions are just like ....well, I'm sure you've heard the saying ;)

With groups like HSUS gaining lobbying power, it's great to see favorable publicity for the industry for once. Putting a face (even a slightly saccharine one) to agriculture can go a long way toward creating a positive rapport with the non-agriculture public. I would hope that's something we can agree on.

[DistrictCyclone]

Do those sectors have groups like PETA, HSUS, Mercy for Animals etc., who have eliminating their profession as one of their main goals? You and your parents are free to find it stupid just as myself and every other ag-related person that grew up working with animals that I've seen discuss it will continue to think it was pretty nice and that the donation to FFA is even better. Opinions are just like ....well, I'm sure you've heard the saying ;)

With groups like HSUS gaining lobbying power, it's great to see favorable publicity for the industry for once. Putting a face (even a slightly saccharine one) to agriculture can go a long way toward creating a positive rapport with the non-agriculture public. I would hope that's something we can agree on.

I'm not sure what the argument is about, but just about every profession has to deal with some sort of vested interest that would prefer a world in which their competitors didn't exist. It's a natural byproduct of a market economy; you're always going to have enemies. Even in public service, people have to deal with half the country thinking they're worthless bums, and their livelihoods are almost exclusively dependent upon the whims of a dysfunctional Congress.

Agriculture, like almost everything else, will always have its detractors. And rightfully so; none of us should be completely impervious to criticism. I don't think agriculture needs to play any kind of "woe is us" routine to demonstrate its worth, though.

[Tre4ISU]

I'm not sure what the argument is about, but just about every profession has to deal with some sort of vested interest that would prefer a world in which their competitors didn't exist. It's a natural byproduct of a market economy; you're always going to have enemies. Even in public service, people have to deal with half the country thinking they're worthless bums, and their livelihoods are almost exclusively dependent upon the whims of a dysfunctional Congress.

Agriculture, like almost everything else, will always have its detractors. And rightfully so; none of us should be completely impervious to criticism. I don't think agriculture needs to play any kind of "woe is us" routine to demonstrate its worth, though.

Thinking negatively of a profession and actively trying to undermine the profession are not one in the same.

[CyDude16]

Thinking negatively of a profession and actively trying to undermine the profession are not one in the same.

There are plenty of people who actively try to undermine professions moreso than just farmers.

[DistrictCyclone]

Thinking negatively of a profession and actively trying to undermine the profession are not one in the same.

As I said, this is something almost every profession has to deal with...not just agriculture.

[DistrictCyclone]

Thinking negatively of a profession and actively trying to undermine the profession are not one in the same.

I'd also add that even though agriculture has plenty of people working to undermine it, it also has one of the most well-funded, powerful lobby groups in the world in the Farm Bureau. Not to mention all of the more specialized advocacy groups like the Corn Growers Association, Grocery Manufacturers Association, etc. There are plenty of industries that would kill to have that kind of influence.

[Tre4ISU]

As I said, this is something almost every profession has to deal with...not just agriculture.

Where are the large lobbying body's against doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, or engineers? I doubt that any of those face anything like PETA or HSUS and that's not to mention the environmental bodies. Certainly they all face public criticism and every profession does face that.

[DistrictCyclone]

Where are the large lobbying body's against doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, or engineers? I doubt that any of those face anything like PETA or HSUS and that's not to mention the environmental bodies. Certainly they all face public criticism and every profession does face that.

Doctors have an entire industry (malpractice attorneys) ready to sue their pants off in case they mess up, for starters. Those attorneys are broadly generalized as "ambulance chasers" by the rest of the population, and severely inhibiting their ability to litigate has been a plank on one of our country's major political parties for a long time. If you don't think teachers have seen the ****** end of the stick in the form of pay cuts and position eliminations due to the influence of powerful and organized lobby groups, then you haven't been paying attention to state politics in most Midwestern states over the past few years. And just like you can't group all types of agriculture together, you can't do the same with engineers; if you're an engineer working for BP or performing natural gas extraction, I guarantee you've received your share of disapprobation.

I'm sorry, but agriculture is simply not unique in facing criticism from advocacy groups.

[Tre4ISU]

Ambulance Chasers aren't a lobbying group and they aren't changing legislation on their own. Besides that, those malpractice suits will go to court. The amount paid out or settled is a totally different topic that I would feel we probably agree on. Since I am evidently ignorant on the teacher subject outside of my area, what are the groups lobbying against teachers? That's a serious question that I am interested in knowing the answer to. As for the engineers, the engineers themselves aren't likely effected from an income standpoint. They may have a more complex job but the company they work for bears the burden. Still a good example to your point though. And lumping all types of Ag together is probably reasonably fair. In Iowa, we are fairly lucky. Minnesota is a different story. I don't have an issue with a lot of restrictions that have come to pass. It's the faulty perception put off by groups that people just buy into. Farmers aren't alone in facing pushback and I never intended to imply that.

[DistrictCyclone]

Ambulance Chasers aren't a lobbying group and they aren't changing legislation on their own.

Well, there's these guys. As a lobbying group that represents one of the highest-paying professions in the world, they're pretty influential.

Besides that, those malpractice suits will go to court. The amount paid out or settled is a totally different topic that I would feel we probably agree on. Since I am evidently ignorant on the teacher subject outside of my area, what are the groups lobbying against teachers? That's a serious question that I am interested in knowing the answer to.

A lot of the conservative think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, Manhattan Institute, etc. have been haranguing teachers for a long time. I doubt you'd find a lobby group named "**** Teachers!" or anything like that.

As for the engineers, the engineers themselves aren't likely effected from an income standpoint. They may have a more complex job but the company they work for bears the burden. Still a good example to your point though. And lumping all types of Ag together is probably reasonably fair. In Iowa, we are fairly lucky. Minnesota is a different story. I don't have an issue with a lot of restrictions that have come to pass. It's the faulty perception put off by groups that people just buy into. Farmers aren't alone in facing pushback and I never intended to imply that.

I agree that the type of rhetoric pushed by most advocacy groups (on both sides of an issue) usually dumbs down the debate and/or uses extreme examples. It seems like a lot of people either think farmers are palatine saints that can do no wrong or they believe they're animal-killing, polluting monsters; that probably doesn't help when discussing issues in agriculture.

[00clone]

I have a cousin that taught in Cedar Rapids. She was telling me that kids there had no idea where their food came from. Many thought it came from the grocery store, which is also what they answered when asked where their hawkeye coat came from.

FIFY

I know, but drive any direction for 20 minutes, and they can see where their food comes from.

No sir...you drive 20 minutes south from Cedar Rapids, you'll only see where hipsters, doctors and lawyers come from.

[Rabbuk]

No sir...you drive 20 minutes south from Cedar Rapids, you'll only see where hipsters, doctors and lawyers come from.

There are 3 other cardinal directions.

[00clone]

There are 3 other cardinal directions.

Didn't argue that...the original statement was 'you drive ANY direction'. That's an absolute. No exceptions. I merely pointed out one exception. In fact, you limiting it to cardinal directions is more of an error than my pointing out only one exception. ANY direction could be southeast, or northwest, or southerly, or northish. I could go on. I will admit the one way I could possibly be called out is implying that Iowa City is driving south. In actuality, as the crow flies, it's more south by southeast, but I was trying to be brief.

Personally, if I were to drive 20 minutes in any direction from Cedar Rapids, I'd prefer true southeast.

[Rabbuk]

Didn't argue that...the original statement was 'you drive ANY direction'. That's an absolute. No exceptions. I merely pointed out one exception. In fact, you limiting it to cardinal directions is more of an error than my pointing out only one exception. ANY direction could be southeast, or northwest, or southerly, or northish. I could go on. I will admit the one way I could possibly be called out is implying that Iowa City is driving south. In actuality, as the crow flies, it's more south by southeast, but I was trying to be brief.

Personally, if I were to drive 20 minutes in any direction from Cedar Rapids, I'd prefer true southeast.

Have you driven the route between crapids and i.c.? It's all farm.

[00clone]

Have you driven the route between crapids and i.c.? It's all farm.

No, not all farm, unless the Eastern Iowa Airport, the Budweiser distributor (and neighboring strip bar), Swisher and Shueyville count as farms (admittedly one could make a point for the last two).

However, discounting that, you're still wrong. First, the implication of 'you drive 20 minutes in either direction' is the end of the trip. Otherwise, the statement would have been 'within 20 minutes....' Secondly, the statement was made about kids. No kid looks out the window anymore, they're watching DVD's or Bluerays, or sexting and fiddling with their WiiWii's and stuff so the route and what is present on said route is an invalid point.

Really, are you smokin' the dank again?